New York and Beyond

Hi Folks, I spent a pleasant week in Queens New York. New York is the type of town where you can do anything at any time of the day.Apart form buying a new pair of sandals, the other ones didn't last the pace, that last time I will spend a tenner in Dunnes on footware :-). I went to see a show which was the Producers. For a musical it was excellent, plenty of humour and a singing/dancing giant swastika! What more could you want for a nights entertainment :-) Well when the show ended, there was a bar in East Village that looked interesting. It was a TV karoke bar. So being in New York I decided to hail a cab but a limo taxi stopped so for an extra $10 - to hell with the budget :-), I took it downtown. Limo is the only way to see New York by night. The bar was fun the MC viciously verably abused ( I will not repeat what she called and suggested to people to do )who got up to sing, simply forbid anyone to sing Maddona and openly solicted for bribes for people to skip head of the queue! Of course I got a complimentary drink in exchange for my broadway ticket. However when I asked if I could have the ticket back, barperson said no. However when I was at the bar a second time and had previously left a sizeable tip.She informed me that she had mixed feelings about the Irish but would give me back my ticket. However if I tell anyone she happily make me a eunech (she phrased it more directly), which I retorted "was reasonable" :-)

An Anti-Crime Poster - Cop

Naturally I went to see ground zero which was impressive in it size, 20 acres just look so big in such a built up space.

Ground Zero

So from New York myself and Gerry drove down to Philly. Thanks Gerry for all the hospitality,for guiding me accross Manhatten and not screaming when Olive decided to change lanes ramdomly, she was severly punnished later :-). Philly is a lovely city where there is a lot of history, Liberty Bell, the first state prision, memorials etc.One nice monument is to the Irish Fammine, when you follow it around it shows people digging spuds, who were not looking the best :-) , graveyards, people getting on the coffin ships and the ships arriving in USA.

The city council stipulates that any building that receives federal grants must spend 1 per cent of the building budget on art. As a result there is paintings, sculptures galore which adds a lovely feel to the place. So in the US you must sample the local cusine this being Afghani food (like indian but much more delicate sopice flavours) and belgium beers.

Irish Fammine Memorial

The Building From Ghostbuster - Philly